FAILURE TO QUALIFY Ky to submit application

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32676, 4 August 1971, Page 17

FAILURE TO QUALIFY Ky to submit application

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) SAIGON, August 3. Vice-President Nguyen Cao Ky would submit his application to run for President in the election even though he has failed to qualify legally, his runningmate said today.

Mr Tguong Vinh Le, a ■ former chairman of the' Nai tional. Assembly, and now a vice-presidential aspirant, i said that Mr Ky would take his application to the Sui preme Court if it were rejected by the Election Council for not having sufficient signatures of support. 1 Mr Ky*s aides said that his , application would be handed , to the Election Council today ,or tomorrow. Wednesday . evening is the deadline for all candidates. » Sb far President Nguyen , Van Thieu and a.former Head of State, General Duong Van Minh/have applied and are ;in the race. , The Ky-Le camp said tp- ' day that it would, have about ‘ 90 of the 100 signatures of backing required from provincial councillors for an application. ; : The Vice-President has alleged that province chiefs sympathetic to Mr Thieu—- ' now Mr Ky’s bitter political 1 foe—have avoided giving the 1 necessary certification to his signatures. Several pfbvince 1 chiefs have denied this. 1 Mr Le told N.Z.P.A.-Reuter ; today: “We are still very hopeful of being in the race.” He said that he and Mr Ky ’ were ready to appeal to the ’ Supreme Court if their application were rejected.

Mr Ky says that he could present as many as ,140 signatures if hot hindered by Mr Thieu’s province dtiefs. It appears he will submit 100 signatures with the 90 certified names and the rest non-certifled to face a legal decision.

The stumbling block for Mr Ky has been legislation introduced by President Thieu this year to limit the num. her of candidates tor the presidency. This legislation imposed the requirements of certified signatures of support for The vice-presidential running mate of General Minh, Ho Van Minh, told N-Z;P.A.-Reuter that they wefe stijl considering, a possible withdrawal from the election*. General Minh, who led the coup against Presidept Ngo Dinh Dieni in Qoye. only to be ousted from power two months later, has promised to withdraw his candidacy if he felt the elections would not be honest. “If Mr Ky is not able to participate in the election, this will be an important factor in our decision,” General Minh said. General Minh has said he wants to see Kfr Ky also take part in the election.